Hectograph device



Patented Jan. 18, 1944 HECTOGRAPH DEVI-on John N. Schmidt, Chicago, and Kiefer E. Grossnickle, Flossmoor, Ill., assignors to Armour and Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation oi" Illinois Application october 8. 1941, serial No. 414,080

8 Claims.

The present invention relatesv to an improvement in a hectograph machine `and more particularly to devices of this nature wherein a web of hectograph carbon paper is used. In hectographs of this type a roll of carbon paper is normally unwound from a fresh roll, led across a supporting surface and rewound on a used roll as desired. As the web is used face up so that copies may be made therefrom, the operators fingers, hands and sleevs are continually comingV in contact with the paper with the result that the operation is often rather messy and dirty. Fresh copies are frequently smudged by the operators hands.

This vrepeated contact with unused portions of the copy paper also renders this part of the paper unfit for copy purposes with a consequent waste of material. Likewise this contact tends to tear or break the web with a following loss of time and economy.

One object of the present invention is to provide a structure of this type that will be more economical in operation.

Another object is to provide a structure more cleanly in operation for both the operator and the copy work.

Yet another object is to provide a structure offering more protection to the operator and the copy paper.

v kOther and further objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from an understanding of the invention as exemplied in the embodiment described herein and shown in the drawing wherein Fig. l is a plan View of structure incorporating the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the structure of Fig. 1 showing the device mounted on a desk or table;

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and f Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a form of sup porting-member usable with said invention.

The structure includes a novel bed for the duplicating web covered by a protective housing or shield with a duplicating aperture contained therein intermediate the ends of the housing to afford a work opening. Friction controlled rolls for unwinding and rewinding the web are provided along with structure for guiding and protecting the web from tearing in its travel from one` roll to another. The structure may be made portable -to b e laid over a normal table or desk or a table or desk may be specially constructed to receive it. p

With reference to the drawing, it will be seen that the structure may be incorporated in a body or frame lli having a top protecting member Il and downwardly depending side flanges I2 to form a housing :for the structure. End extensions I4 and i6 are formed on opposite sides of the frame anges l2 to receive rolls I8 and 20 respectively by which a web 22 ofy duplicating paper may be led from one roll to the other as used.

Intermediate the ends of the housing and at a proper copy-making position a copy opening 24 is provided that may extend across the top of the housing at an angle to the path of travel of the web and be substantially in the shape of a parallelogram as shown. If desired,` the housing may have an extension 25 formed therein extending outwardly toward theoperator from themain body portion of the frame opposite opening 24 to permit an operator to rest his arms thereon or to stack papers, cards or other articles upon which copies'ale to be made. The angular disposition of the opening transversely across the housing and line of web vtravel tends to prevent the web from catching on the edges'of the opening 24 and aords a comfortable position for the operator in placing and removing copies from the web.

A plate 26 is provided for guiding the web to the opening and supporting it in a proper duplicating position within the opening 24 and may be made spaceable from the frame for easy access to the interior for web insertion. This support may be formed as a flat bottom section 28 extending under and spaced from the frame top Il of the housing. Downturned sides 30 are telescopically received within side anges l2 so that thebase portions 28 may iit ush within anges l2. At one end the plate is provided with hinge extensions 32 and a hinged connection 34 is provided between these extensions and with side anges l2 of the frame l0.

A suitable locking means to hold this hinged support in operative position is provided and may be in the form of rods 36 inserted through cooperating locking openings in the side flanges l2 and' sides 30. These rods may be withdrawn completelyfrom the openings to permit the plate 26 to pivot-downwardly around the hinge portions 34. This plate or web 'supporting section is swung downwardly to space the same from the top frame portion when a web is threaded through the device.

On the plate 26 immediately below the opening 24 a pad member 40 ismounted. This pad preferably conforms to the shape of this opening and extends upwardly into it so that the top of the pad may be substantially flush with the top wall H of the framey l0. As may be seen with reference to Fig. 3, pad 40 has bevelled or'roun'ded edges 42 and 43, respectively, opposite edges lll!v and 45, respectively, of the opening Y 24 so that bevelled entry and exit slots are provided for the web on either side of the opening to guard against tearing of the web material. The pad, being aixed to the supportingportion 28, is likewise spaceable from the frame top H andremovable from the yopeningv 24 upon swingii'ig` the portion 28 downwardly around its hinge 3d.

The size of the copy opening is adjustable so that an operator may confine the area of available copy paper to an amount sufficient for the purpose desired at any particular time. For this result, cover plates or apronsjsuitably formed may be positioned over the opening to protect the web, and to provide a clean working space for the operator. As shown, cover plates 46 and 4S may be provided with suitable mountings andV are removable from the opening for ease of access to the web or for interchange with differently sized plates for enlarging or decreasing the opening. A convenient form for these plates is that of a trapezoid with-the parallel sides overlapping edges 44 and 45 of the opening and having the other edges so formed that edges 52 may extend transversely across opening 24 at right angles to its longitudinal axis thus forming a rectangular opening to guide the operator in making copies. The other edges 54 of these plates may be made to conform to the line of web travel and be provided with downwardly turned locking flanges y56 to be received within slots provided therefor in the frame top Il. The plates are thus removable or may be swung upwardly away from` the opening to permit adjustment of the web if necessary.

Inserted through suitable openings in the extensions l4 and I6 are journals 58 that hold the rolls I8` and 20 in place. On one end nearest the operator, the journals have knurled knobs 50 so that the turning of them will unwind a web from one roll and rewind it on the other. These rolls are frictionally, yet yieldingly, held against unwinding by spring members 62 on the journals so thatv an operator may adjust the amount of paper to be withdrawn at any time.

As a further guide` for the web and a support for the frame, cross members 64 may be inserted transversely of the frame I between flanges l2 but spaced downwardly from the top Il to permit the web to be threaded thereover, Idler rollers 66 may be. mounted adjacent the ends of the frame I0 to lead the web 22 into the housing.

In preparing the device for use, a loaded roll i8 is mounted in journals 58 and a length of web led from it over the nearest idler roller B6 and across cross member 64. Plate 26 is lowered and the web is led between the frame I2 and plate 26, across the next cross member 64, the idler roller S6.y to a wind-up roller 20. Plate 2liv is then swung upwardly into cooperative telescopic position within frame l0 and held in place by locking means such as 36. The closing of the plate brings pad 40 within the opening 24 with the exit and entry slots formed by the beveled edges in alignment. This also .brings web 22` upwardly into the opening in position for work.

Aprons 46 and 48 are then mounted over the opening and the operator may begin Work with the web 22 shielded from the operator except at the working or copy opening 24.

Various modifications of structure .will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. All such modifications. are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A hectograph device, comprising in combination, a housing which incorporates a frame having a top protecting member and downwardly depending side flanges, a copy opening in said 'top protecting member of said frame and intermediate the ends thereof, a web supporting plate mounted on said frame below said opening, end extensions connected to opposite sides of one end of said frame exteriorly of said housing and journaled to receive a roll of carbon paper, similar extensions connected to opposite sides of the other end of said frame and also exteriorly thereof and journaled to carry a transfer roller to receive a web of carbon paper traveling transversely of the sides of said copy opening from said first named roll, and means to manipulate said roll and roller to transfer said web from one to the other.

2. A hectograph device as dened in claim 1 wherein said copy opening is angularly disposed transversely to the line of web travel.

3. A hectograph device as defined in claim 1 wherein means is provided for adjusting the size of the opening.

4. A hectograph device as defined in claim 1 wherein a pad member is mounted on said web supporting plate below said web, and said pad member extends upwardly into said opening substantially flush with the housing.

5. A hectograph device as defined in claim 1 in which said plate is hingedly mounted to said frame for swinging movement into and out of cooperative position with said web, and locking means for holding said plate in said position.

`6. In a copy machine wherein a web of copy paper is unwound from a fresh roll, used and rewound on a used roll and spaced therefrom, a supporting plate for said web mounted between said rolls, said rolls being journaled in supporting structures cooperatively connected exteriorly of the ends of said machine through which the web is guided and transferred, a housing over said web only and said supporting plate, said housing having a beveled edge copy opening inush with the edges thereof but spaced therefrom, the beveled edges of said pad and opening forming web entry and exit slots for said web into said opening.

'7. In a hectograph device of the type wherein a web of copying paper is unwound from a fresh roll and rewound on a used material roll, said roll being carried in supporting structures cooperatively connected adjacent the ends of a frame for supporting the unwound portion of said web between said rolls, a housing over said web having a copy opening therein to permit access to said web for copying purposes, and a supporting plate for said web below said opening and extending' upwardly into it substantially iiush with said housing, said supporting plate being removable from said opening.

8. A hectograph device as defined in claim 7 wherein cover means are provided for adjusting the size of said opening in said housing.

JOHN N. SCHMIDT, KIEFER E. GROSSNICKLE. 

